The Diesels Are Finally Coming to the U.S. (If You’ve Got the Cash)

Audi showed off a raft of new diesel models at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. Photo: Alex Washburn/Wired

The diesels are coming – again! – and they’re coming in droves.

Automakers ranging from Audi to Mazda have promised to bring diesels to the U.S., finally giving those of us in the States the boosted fuel economy, extended range and tons of torque our European peers have enjoyed for decades. Forget everything you know about diesels. This latest breed of torque monsters deliver on every level.

“Just about everyone stateside who tries out a modern diesel is tremendously impressed,” Ed Kim, vice president of auto industry analysis at AutoPacific, tells Wired. “Problem is, it’s tough to get mainstream Americans open enough to diesel to try them out.”

That’s largely a mental hold-over from the horrid, soot-spewing diesels General Motors foisted on consumers in the 1980s. Between underpowered engines, contaminated fuel issues and even a class-action lawsuit against Buick, the stench of domestic diesels became the butt of jokes we’re still hearing today.

Those lackluster diesels are part of the reason that only 2.6 percent of light vehicles in the U.S. are powered by diesel engines, compared to 55 percent in Western Europe, according to the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). But that’s set to change as automakers look for any way to boost fuel economy to meet the federally mandated rating of 54.5 mpg in 2025.

But that national perception has begun to shift as younger car buyers enter the market unaware of the sins of past oil-burners, and as automakers like Audi and Peugeot rack up the race wins.

Volkswagen has helped lead that charge with the diesel-powered and youth-focused Golf hatchbacks, Jetta sedans and wagons, along with the Passat, Touraeg SUV and Beetle TDI. VW even had the temerity to go racing, enlisting budding racers to pilot Jetta TDI Cup cars around U.S. circuits.

Since then, BMW brought both a turbocharged, 3.0-liter diesel version of its perennial best-selling 3 Series and X5 SUV, while Audi (VW’s luxurious sibling) has not only offered diesel versions of its A3 hatchback, A4 sedan and Q7 SUV in the U.S., but has dominated the 24 Hours of LeMans with its diesel-powered prototype race cars.

Audi reaffirmed its commitment to diesel in the States at last month’s L.A. Auto Show, introducing new TDI models spanning its range, four of which are being offered with diesel technology for the first time in the U.S. All those models come packing a new 3.0-liter V6 that delivers 30 percent better fuel economy and 30 percent less carbon dioxide compared to their standard gasoline-powered counterparts, all while providing the low-end shove that’s largely lacking in traditional engines. Consider the big daddy of the Audi line-up – the A8 – manages a claimed 24 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, and it’s hard to argue with the logic behind equipping a two-ton luxobarge with a torquey diesel powerplant. And Audi’s crosstown rivals aren’t far behind.

Coincidentally (no, seriously), a slide leaked out of an internal BMW meeting a few weeks before Audi unveiled its diesel offensive, purportedly showing BMW’s plans to bring five of its own diesels to the U.S. in the near-term.

The lineup includes a new diesel-powered 3 Series sedan and wagon, both of which will be powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder. The X5 diesel – which is still on sale – will get a new 3.0-liter diesel late next year, which will also be available on the 5 Series, although sources at BMW wouldn’t confirm whether the X3 or 7 Series would be getting diesel power, but it’s a safe bet that we’ll see both in early 2014.

And then there’s Mercedes-Benz, which currently offers four diesel models in the U.S. and is readying a fifth – the cute ute GLK 250 BlueTec – to launch this spring. Sources at Mercedes tell Wired that a four-cylinder diesel will be available in both the E- and ML-Class models next summer, replacing the six-cylinder diesel versions currently on offer. What’s missing is a diesel version of the entry-level C-Class to compete with the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, but sources say that the next-generation C – due out in late 2014 and built at its Alabama plant – will likely be fitted with a diesel powerplant sometime in 2015.

One thing you’ve likely noticed is that the Germans are dominating the diesel space in the States. According to the VDA, “sales of diesel passenger cars by German manufacturers… take 100 percent of the market in diesel cars in the USA.” And that’s more than doubled over the last three years.

Why? The Germans have been building diesels in droves at home, while Japanese and American automakers have focused almost exclusively on boosting the fuel efficiency of gasoline-powered engines or invested heavily in electric and hybrid-electric drivetrains. But that also means that you’ve got to have a fair amount of cash to get into a modern diesel.

“Most of the upcoming diesels are luxury vehicles because it’s the Germans who are really pushing diesel,” says Kim, “and most of the German makes in the U.S. are luxury brands.”

That’s true, but it’s also means the space is ripe for some new players.

Over a decade ago, Tokyo’s governor banned diesel cars in the city, but the latest “clean diesel” technology, including new turbochargers and air filters, are bringing it back.

Mazda has announced a diesel version of its Mazda6 sedan – a competitor to the market-dominating Toyota Camry – will come to the U.S. next year, although rumors of a Honda Accord diesel have all but dried up.

The domestics, on the other hand, have had years to sort out their diesel technology, with big trucks and even bigger SUVs using the fuel for decades. Chevrolet promises that a diesel variant of its compact Cruze sedan will go on sale next summer, boasting a highway fuel economy rating of 40 mpg, while both Chrysler and Ford remain mum on future diesel offerings.

Unfortunately, diesel doesn’t have the same eco-appeal as hybrids and EVs, which is one of the reasons they’ve been relegated to high-end vehicles for the past few years. It’s also a matter of scale and price.

“For luxury vehicle owners, the delta between gasoline and diesel is smaller since most luxury vehicles require premium gasoline,” says Kim. “But diesel is a tougher sell to mainstream non-luxury buyers since the gasoline-to-diesel delta is higher.” Check your local diesel prices compared to premium fuel and you’ll understand why.

To get the diesel tide to shift in the States, automakers both here and abroad have to market them as an appealing alternative to their gasoline counterparts, touting their efficiency, fuel economy and tractable powerband. It’s a similar tact that some automakers took with their initial hybrid offerings, but the diesel premium – both at the dealer and the pump – is a massive challenge to overcome. “We see diesel growing in the coming years simply due to the growing number of diesel entries in the marketplace,” says Kim. “Still, they are expected to remain a relative niche – they won’t achieve the sales numbers of hybrids anytime soon.”

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